Online complaint form

• Before filing a complaint, check to ensure that the Québec Ombudsman is the right form of recourse for you.

If your complaint concerns the health and social services network, you must first contact the service quality and complaints commission of the institution concerned. Complaints assistance centres (CAAP) can help you file your complaint. In most cases, the Québec Ombudsman acts as a second level of recourse.

• You can turn to the Québec Ombudsman even if you are not a Canadian citizen or do not have permanent resident status.
• If a family member, a friend, a business or an organization is unable to file a complaint, you can do so on their behalf. However, if you want to be informed about the Québec Ombudsman’s conclusions, the person, business or organization must first complete the power of attorney form (PDF, 138 Ko) for that purpose.
• If you are uncertain or in case of an emergency, feel free to contact us. We will help find the appropriate resource or recourse based on your problem or situation.

If you want to add the contact information of a person whom you contacted or who handled your file, click on ADD ANOTHER PERSON and the extra fields will appear.

Character count
Does the count of characters indicate that you have exceeded the maximum number while your text seems to respect the limit? Before you copy/paste your text in the Summary field, be sure to remove any formatting (ideally by saving it in .txt format). Texts copied/pasted from Word software often include invisible tags that increase the number of characters.

• If you are having trouble attaching documents, check your browser.

The Québec Ombudsman’s site is designed to function with most browsers. We recommend that you always use the latest version for speedy web page display and to enjoy the latest security updates. If you use an older version of one of these browsers, certain elements of the site may not work properly, particularly, sending attachments with secure web forms.

Recommended browsers:

• Google Chrome
• Internet Explorer (version 9 and higher)
• Safari (Mac environment only)
• Mozilla Firefox
• Operating systems recommended for mobiles and tablets:
  • Android (version 4.0 et plus)
  • IOS (version 7.0 et plus)

• Check the format and size of your documents.

To ensure secure transmission, the web form automatically blocks files that could be dangerous or corrupted or that are too large to send. Note that the combined size of all attached documents must not exceed 75 MB. Each file must not exceed 5 MB.

Only files ending in the following extensions are authorized: .avi .bmp .cda .doc .docx .docm .dot .gif .htm .html .jpeg .jpg .mht .mp3 .mp4 .mpeg .mpg .pdf .png .pps .ppsx .ppt .pptm .pptx .rtf .tif .tiff .txt .wav .wma .wmv .wpl .wps .xls .xlsm .xlsx and .xps.

If you continue to experience difficulties, please contact us.

• Why do I have to provide my personal contact information when I file a complaint?

This information enables us to contact you as quickly as possible and ensures that your file is processed adequately. Note that this is in accordance with section 20 of the Public Protector Act.

• How can I be sure that my personal data will remain confidential?
  • Your complaint will be handled with complete confidentiality and respect. The Québec Ombudsman conducts its investigations privately, meaning that personal information is always protected and is available only to those authorized to access it within the performance of their duties. Only the information required for handling your complaint will be collected.
  • Furthermore, in order to protect your personal information, the complaint forms available on our website are secure.

• If you want to add a new phone where you can be reached, click on ADD A NEW PHONE NUMBER and the extra fields will appear.
• Do you have a phone number abroad? Indicate it in full in the summary of your complaint at step 2. To be able to proceed to step 4, at step 3 of the contact information section, enter a series of 10 digits (000 000 0000) in the mandatory field.

• To enter a date of birth, click on the calendar icon of the available field and select the year and the day.

• How do I edit a section of the form that has already been filled out before I send the form?

As long as you have not sent the form, you can return to the previous section by clicking on PREVIOUS STEP to change the information in the fields or to add information.

Note that at step 4, the form you filled out will be displayed in full. It will still be possible for you to edit the information at any of the steps and to save your changes before sending your form.

Obviously, once the form has been sent, you cannot edit it. Wait until we contact you to confirm the information. You can tell us about any changes at that time.

• What happens when I click on SEND THE FORM?

Your complaint will be sent to the Québec Ombudsman and a confirmation message will be displayed on the screen. You can print this message by printing the Web page from your browser. You can also save a copy of the form for your personal records.

• What happens once the Québec Ombudsman has received my complaint?

As soon as the Québec Ombudsman has received your complaint form, it acknowledges receipt by contacting you be phone within the following two working days.

Then, if your complaint falls within the Québec Ombudsman’s jurisdiction (in other words, if the Québec Ombudsman can intervene), it begins its investigation of all the organizations concerned. When the conclusions arising from the investigation have been reached, it will inform you either in writing or verbally, regardless of whether the complaint was substantiated or unsubstantiated or whether or not recommendations were made.

If your complaint does not fall within our jurisdiction and, as a result, we cannot process it, we will help you find the appropriate resource or recourse.

• How long will it take for the complaint (submitted by means of the form) to be processed?

The Protecteur du citoyen invites people who self-identify as members of the First Nations or Inuit to indicate it in this form, on a voluntary basis. With the information obtained, the Protecteur du citoyen could:

• Better know and understand why First Nations and Inuit use its services;
• Ensure that its services take into account the realities and specific features of First Nations and Inuit, notably by involving a specialized team of advisers;
• Assess and improve its practices so that they are an adequate response to the needs of Indigenous communities.

Note that your answers will be remain strictly confidential and that they will not influence the handling of your request.